Government has defended its decision to discontinue and close all corruption cases against Democratic Republic of Congo-DRC Katanga Province Governor Moses Katumbi due to diplomatic ties that exist between Zambia and that country.

Chief Government Spokesperson Mike Mulongoti said the move was purely for economic interests and peace between the two countries, saying the choice was for Zambia to either paralyse its economy by having conflicts with the DRC or to resolve all standing matters amicably

Mr. Mulongoti who was speaking in an interview with Journalists in Lusaka today explained that Mr. Katumbi ceased to be an ordinary citizen when he won the elections as Governor saying it was not good to pursue one of the country’s neighbour’s Government figure.

Mr. Mulongoti who is also Minister of Information said Government weighed the situation, of either maintaining friendliness with DRC or to be at loggerheads.

Government’s move to discontinue Katumbi’s case has triggered public outcry with some sections of society contending that this will dent its corruption crusade.

And Mr. Mulongoti has said it is good to see that the citizens of Zambia have decided to forge ahead with the constitution making process by participating in the National Constitution Conference-NCC.

Mr. Mulongoti said delegates to sit on NCC will articulate what they feel is right for the country and to carry the mandate of the people they represent.

He pointed out that it is not good for some people to say they were going there to fight someone saying they should simply admit that they were wrong in the first place to snub the NCC.

Delegates to the NCC yesterday commenced registration at Mulungushi International Conference.

Government has invited various stakeholders to take part in the NCC sittings although some organisations have rejected the offer.
The NCC sittings will commence next week on 19 December

Panic gripped on lookers and passengers at the Lusaka International airport when a South African airways passenger plane hit into a stationary truck upon arrival from Johannesburg.

A ZANIS crew that rushed to scene around 15:00 hours found airport officials and fire service personnel and South African Airways officials inspecting the Boeing 737-700 registration number ZS-SJD.

Uncompromising Airport and Zambia Police Officers could not however allow the crew access to the accident site as management had instructed them not to allow the press.

According to an eye witness who refused to be identified, the plane was about to park at the apron before passengers could disembark when its left wing that was dented, hit into the stationary utility truck registration number KYZ 207.

And both National Airports Corporation Limited (NACL) Public Relations Officer Godfrey Chipolyonga and NACL airport manager identified as a Mr. Mwansa refused to comment and referred all queries to South African airways officials.

Efforts to get a comment from South African Airways officials also proved futile as they categorically refused to comment on the matter.

The lady official who was found at the airlines office told the crew that the airline does not give information to the press on such matters and referred the news crew back to the airport officials.

No casualties were recorded and both airport and airline officials further refused to state the number of passengers on board citing security reasons.

This has been the airline policy since the September 11th attack in the United States when two planes were hijacked by suspected Al-Quaeda terrorists hit into the twin towers at the world trade centre in New York.

Opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) has condemned the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) for refusing to amend National Constitution Conference (NCC) but instead go ahead increasing the composition in the conference.

And the UPND has said the MMD should have amended the NCC Act to address concerns raised by other stakeholders in the constitution making process.

UPND President Hakainde Hichilema said at a press briefing in Lusaka today that his party would fight tooth and nail for what he termed a people driven constitution.

Mr. Hichilema said the UPND National Management Committee (NMC) decided on two days ago that his party should not relent in its quest for a people driven constitution in the NCC, the national referendum and parliament.

He said despite the failures in the past attempts to compel the ruling party to include all the stakeholders’ concerns in the NCC, the party would devise new methods of advocating for the constitution that would address concerns of Zambians.

He told journalists that the UPND engaged into consultative meetings with the seventh Day Adventist Church, Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) Zaambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC), Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) and other stakeholders I an attempt to resolve the differences in the constitutional making process.

Mr. Hichilema at the NCC, the UPND would fight for a president elected by 50 + 1 majority of the valid votes, enshrining of the election date in the constitution and independence of the Electoral Commission of Zambia which should have representation from political parties, churches and NGOs.

“The Chief Justice should not be the Returning Officer for the presidential elections, but the chairperson of the independent Electoral Commission, there should be a mixed proportional representation system of elections to parliament,” he said.

He further said the party was against a piecemeal amendment to the constitution, saying “The whole document should be subjected to a referendum after the NCC has agreed to its contents”.

He also said the party would advocate that members of parliament who defected from a party should be barred from contesting for the position until after that term of office expires.

The other things the party would fight for was the entrenchment of the economic and social rights in the constitution especially the right to education, health, employment, clean water supply and decent housing.

Mr. Hichilema said the bill of rights should be amended to improve people’s rights especially of children and women.

He stressed that the Freedom of Information Bill should be clearly stated in the constitution to guarantee the freedom of the press.

“There should be funding of political parties from public resources on criteria to be agreed in order to strengthen democracy and avoid abuse of public funds by the ruling party,” he said.

The UPND leader said at parliament level, his party would endeavour to fight for what it has always advocated for.

The ruling party need at this stage to gunner two thirds majority for which it it short by 29 Members of Parliament.

He said his 22 MPs would not vote with the MMD in parliament and warned that whichever UPND MP would side with the MMD would be disciplined.

Currently, parliament comprises 73 MPs for MMD, Patriotic Front 41, UPND 22, the United Liberal Party (ULP) three and United National Independence Party (UNIP) has two.

The Forum for Democracy and Development has two MPs, the National Democratic Focus has one. There are three independent MPs in parliament.

President Levy Mwanawasas has arrived in the Portuguese Capital, Lisbon, today to attend the European Union (EU)/ African Union (AU) Summit which opens tomorrow.

Dr. Mwanawasa arrived in Lisbon at around 16:35 Zambian time after concluding a three-day official visit to the Federal Republic of Germany.

The President was welcomed at Lisbon International Airport by Portugal’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Joao Gomes Cravinho and senior government officials.

Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande, Zambia’s Ambassador to Italy Lucy Mung’oma and other senior Zambian government officials were also on hand to receive the President.

Others who are in trhe adavance party of the Zambian delegation are Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Felex Mutati and State House Deputy Minister Richard Taima.

In Germany, President Mwanawasa held several meetings including private talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Federal President Horst Kohler.

The two-day Africa-Europe Summit has been convened in Lisbon as part of the efforts to forge stronger political and economic ties between the two continents.

Top on the agenda of the Lisbon Summit are issues on human rights, good governance, global warming, immigration and trade.

The build up to the summit has been controversal with British Prime Minister Gorden Brown staying away from the meeting because of misunderstandings with President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.

At a joint press briefing in Berlin with President Mwanawasa, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said other EU member states were going to be present at the Lisbon Summit despite Britain’s boycot.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe including other 52 African leaders is expected in Lisbon today for his first EU Summit in seven years.

At the instance of the AU, however, Portugal invited all African leaders including President Mugabe to attend the summit.

Deputy Minister for Youth, Sport and Child Development Angela Cifire has disclosed that government was working towards having 50 per cent of youths in employment by the year 2015.

Ms. Cifire said government, through the national youth policy, was focusing on having 30 per cent young people in all levels of decision making in the country in the next eight years.

She said the young people should be guided to make decisions that would make them productive in the country.

She has since called on parents, guardians and other adults to provide love and guidance to the young people for them grow into respectable and responsible citizens of Zambia.

Ms. Cifire was speaking today when she launched the “Love Re-defined Project” under the Motivated Generation International organisation for youths at Lusaka’s Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

And former Vice President, Nevers Mumba urged young people to make right decisions so that they did not regret when they are old.

Earlier, MGI President, Steady Phiri said time has come for young people to stand up and redefine their values for them to be responsible people in society.

Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has arrived in Lisbon, Portugal, ahead of this weekend’s EU-Africa summit. He is banned from the EU, but was let in after African leaders threatened to stay away if he was not invited.

UK PM Gordon Brown, who is critical of Mr Mugabe’s human rights record, is boycotting the summit in protest.

EU Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso has criticised Mr Brown’s decision, saying that leaders sometimes have to meet people they disapprove of.

“If you are an international leader then you are going to have to be prepared to meet some people your mother would not like you to meet. That is what we have to do from time to time,” he said.

Overshadowed

The president of the European parliament, Hans-Gert Poettering, expressed his hope that Mr Mugabe’s presence would not overshadow the summit.

“The presence of one person is a fact, but the relations between Africa and the European Union are more important than the presence of this person,” he said.

Mr Brown has decided to stay away

The highlight of the two-day summit will be the launch of a “new strategic partnership” between the EU and Africa to tackle issues such as development, good governance, peace, security, migration, energy and climate change.

EU aid for improvements to roads, bridges, telecommunications is set to rise to 5.6bn euros in 2008-2013, up from 3.75bn in 2002-2007.

The EU will also be attempting to draw up a number of new trade agreements with individual African countries and regional blocs.

The World Trade Organization has set a deadline for the end of the year, after which the current preferential trade agreement between the EU and the 78-nation Africa, Caribbean and Pacific group will cease to operate.

But the head of the West African trade grouping told the BBC that the EU should extend its 31 December deadline to sign the new Economic Partnership Agreements.

Mohammed Ibn Chambas said many African countries were concerned that the agreements lacked balance.

East African countries have already signed up to the new deals.

Although Mr Brown is boycotting the summit, the UK will be represented by the former International Development Secretary, Baroness Amos.
[BBC]